How Max Verstappen can win the Drivers’ Championship in Las Vegas and light up F1’s glitziest race
This article is part of the “Beyond the track” series, a dive into the surrounding scene, glamor and culture that makes a Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen’s battle from seventeenth place on the grid to win the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday will go down as one of the most important victories of his Formula 1 career.
Not only did it complete a streak of ten races without a win (practically a lifetime by Verstappen’s standards), but when Lando Norris slipped from pole position to only finish sixth, the victory also put Verstappen on the brink of achieving his fourth world championship.
It was a huge power shift, which dashed hopes that Norris could keep the title race alive until the final in Abu Dhabi. And now Verstappen could be crowned champion during the Grand Prix of Las Vegas on November 23.
Last year’s first race along the famous Las Vegas Strip was an important milestone for F1. The sport has spent more than half a billion dollars to make the event possible, including a new, permanent paddock building that serves as its home base in the United States and also acts as a promoter for staging the Grand Prix. The circuit incorporated the famous Strip and Sphere, creating a spectacular visual event against the night sky.
Despite a difficult start to the race weekend with the cancellation of first practice and frustration over scheduling, Las Vegas was one of the best races of the season, including an open battle for the lead that continued into the closing laps and universal praise for the layout of the high-speed street track.
Verstappen, an early critic of the race for being “99 percent show and one percent sporting event,” sang “Viva Las Vegas” over his radio after crossing the line. Even he believed in the spectacle that had doubled his veracity Vegas.
While there are plans to tone down the off-track demands on drivers and focus more on the local community, the current championship picture means Las Vegas has a chance to secure a place in F1 history.
Unlike last year, when Verstappen won the title four races earlier in Qatar, Las Vegas now has to think about how to prepare for Verstappen’s coronation as four-time world champion.
And the organizers would probably make it a championship party to remember.
Max Verstappen greets fans ahead of the 2023 Las Vegas GP. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
How Verstappen can win the championship in Las Vegas
There is a simple scenario for Verstappen to secure the championship in Las Vegas: beat Norris in the race on Saturday evening.
Verstappen has a lead of 62 points, of which 86 are still available in the drivers’ championship. If he is 60 points ahead of Norris at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix race weekend, the title race will be over.
Norris, the driver who is in good shape for his difficult Sunday in Brazil, can take the championship to Qatar the following week by winning in Las Vegas. Finishing second or third would also prevent a title defeat, as long as Verstappen finishes behind and does not score the bonus point for the fastest lap. If Norris finishes between fourth and seventh place, he would have to cross the line two places ahead of Verstappen to keep the championship going.
The result of the substitutions is that Norris must beat Verstappen by three points to continue business to Qatar.
If Norris can produce the same kind of dominant performance as in Singapore (F1’s most recent street race, where he won by 20 seconds), then plans for a championship celebration in Las Vegas would be put on ice. Verstappen could win the title in Qatar for the second year in a row.
But one team to watch out for in Las Vegas is Ferrari. Charles Leclerc led the team to a 1-2 finish at the United States Grand Prix last month before teammate Carlos Sainz dominated in Mexico on his way to victory. The layout of the Las Vegas circuit, complete with some tight, technical corners, should suit the Ferrari car’s strengths in a similar way to the circuit in Mexico. Leclerc took pole position in Las Vegas last year and battled for victory until the closing stages, eventually overtaking Sergio Pérez on the final lap to take second place.
Ferrari’s form and Red Bull’s recent problems in dry conditions mean that it is not certain that Verstappen will win the title in Las Vegas. After the race in Brazil, where the wet weather certainly helped him, Verstappen seemed more optimistic about the team’s performance than lately.
“I am confident that we can fight again in the last three races, and especially in the race that we will be more competitive,” he said.
A dream scenario for Las Vegas
Any Grand Prix would love the status of the championship winning race. But the thought of Verstappen clinching the championship in Las Vegas will excite many within F1.
Despite criticism from local groups over the disruption caused by the race’s run-up and frustration from some fans over the price of entry, last year’s inaugural edition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix was a huge commercial success for both F1 and city.
A Clark County study reported an estimated economic impact of $1.5 billion, more than half of which came from visitor spending. From a broader cultural perspective, a Saturday evening primetime slot starting at 10pm PT placed F1 on the list of top sporting venues in Las Vegas and boasted the celebrity appeal that took the race beyond its usual reach.
A general view of fireworks after the Las Vegas Grand Prix. (Clive Mason/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Las Vegas wanted to put on a show unlike anything F1 had ever seen. No matter how impressive the race looked on TV and to those on the field, there was no substitute for the product on track: a spectacular race with many overtakes and an open battle for victory, even if it ended in yet another Verstappen victory , excited fans and meant the event lived up to its considerable hype.
F1’s improved competitive image compared to 2023, when a Verstappen victory was almost accepted as part of the procedure, has already provided a boost for several circuits. Bobby Epstein, the chairman of the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, said that when Verstappen’s 2024 dominance ended this summer, the circuit saw an increase in ticket sales for the United States GP in October. It ended up being a sold out event.
The same push will likely help Las Vegas. Race organizers have always maintained that Las Vegas is often a last-minute market, and there was a later marketing push for this year’s race, which started in earnest with 100 days to go. That build-up of late interest could accelerate with the possibility of it becoming the championship decider.
It would also give race organizers a chance to bring a distinctly Las Vegas feel to any championship celebrations. After last year’s Grand Prix, the top three finishers were driven in a limousine from the Parc Ferme to the Bellagio, where they held interviews in front of the famous fountain before returning to the grid for the podium ceremony as a huge fireworks display erupted over the city . .
Given the involvement of the local casinos, who are partners of the event, and their penchant for high-quality hospitality and, where appropriate, extravagance, participation in any championship celebrations will be very attractive. There will be a degree of gambling involved – fittingly for Las Vegas – as to how thorough the preparations for achieving championship victory will be, as this is far from certain for Verstappen.
Las Vegas is leaning on the fact that it has a playbook and hasn’t needed the same kind of disruption as last year to complete the track in year two. It now wants to be a race for everyone, with accessibility central. But given F1’s huge efforts to make the race happen and the glowing spotlight placed on Las Vegas last year, adding the crowning of a champion in what has been a classic season will inevitably be a huge resource. of excitement for the organizers – and the fans who plan to attend.
For Verstappen, it doesn’t matter where the championship is won. As long as he does it.
“I just want clean races until the end,” he said after his victory in Brazil. “I’m not thinking about getting the championship in Vegas or anything like that. I just want clean races.”
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Top photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
